BOZEMAN — Since Caidin Hill stepped on the green his freshman year he has been a force to reckon with. He’s a back-to-back individual state champion and hoping to get his third title next week.
“His freshman year was the first year that I ever met him," Manhattan Christian head golf coach Tom Hubers remembered. "We were hitting in the gym because we couldn’t get outside, and you can kind of see when a kids got a good swing. It kind of raised my eyebrows a little bit like oh this kid could be pretty good.”
Little did he know, Hill's freshman campaign would bring the Eagles their first-ever individual state title.
And another the following year.
He was on pace to be a four-time state champion, but then the pandemic hit.
“When you have an opportunity to make history or be one of the golfers to win four-in-a-row, that’s something that you want to do, but obviously there was nothing I could really do about it," Hill, a senior, said. "You just kind of have to take it as it goes and play good this year so you can do it again.”
“That was a major disappointment not only for I think (Hill), but also for our team because this would be kind of fun to be going for our fourth-in-a-row for boys, but instead it’s number three," Hubers added.
With six returners qualified for state, the Eagles are the favorite to win the team title again this year, but to make sure good fortune is on their side the two-time champion is bringing along a friend: a lucky unicorn.
“I think a lot of these kids come out and try to really look the part, and I’m just like 'Hey, I’ve got a unicorn as my driver head cover," Hill laughed. "I’m still going to go out and play good. It doesn’t dictate that. “
However, to make sure his score looks as good as his new driver head cover, he’s been spending these last few days fine-tuning his iron game.
“Making sure that I get my driver locked in because if I’m hitting fairways then you’ve got short wedges in the greens, and if you have short wedges in the greens you get good birdie putts," Hill explained. "If I’m hitting fairways, making good wedges, I think I’ll be able to score pretty good.”
The State C Golf Tournament kicks off May 18 at Riverside Country Club in Bozeman.
